FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT RAY ALLEN - PAGE 4

The proximity is what soothes Ray Allen the most. When he wanted to fish before moving here, it was somewhat of a process getting to a nearby body of water. Now, he just walks out the backdoor. "I actually live right on the ocean," said Allen, who lives in Coral Gables. "I caught a puffer fish the other day. I threw it back it in. You don't want to eat that, poisonous, toxic. He's got those teeth and he's clamping down. It's great. " It is indeed great for Allen these days.

Q: Ira, I know this is not necessarily a basketball question, but why would Ray Allen consider returning to the Heat with his home invaded? -- Steve. A: First, you're right, it's not a basketball issue, to have intruders walk into your house. But there also is a larger issue than what level of charges should have been filed: What if Ray Allen's wife, or anyone else in that home, had a firearm? That's what makes this more than a prank, and why those young adults were fortunate that after-the-fact charges were as bad as it got. Forget basketball and whether Ray Allen has even considered returning to the Heat.

Fortunately, the Heat don't play the Celtics again until Jan. 27, so the temperature in the rivalry has had an chance to cool. But because the chatter never ceases, there will remain hot-button moments, even if offered amid lighthearted conversation. We arrived at one of those moments Thursday when Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo made an appearance on Boston's WEEI radio. While this hardly carried the edge of the vitriol before the teams met in their Oct. 30 season opener, Rondo did manage to get the last shot.

Q: There is absolutely no reason that Ray Allen, at 37 years old, should be attempting to defend another team's point guard. Without Joel Anthony in the rotation on a regular basis protecting the paint, doesn't stopping dribble penetration become the priority with this team? -- Khand. A: The lack of shot blockers certainly is an issue, but you have to get Ray into the game, and, for now, that means coming at the expense of some of Norris Cole's minutes. In order to get Ray the minutes promised when he was signed as a free agent, the Heat will have to spot Ray at times at the point.

The first Miami Heat made basket in public this season will be likely forgotten. The Shane Battier 3-pointer from the baseline to open the scoring Wednesday was only a footnote. No, the second field goal was several times more memorable. With the Heat hosting an open scrimmage at AmericanAirlines Arena, the biggest rise from the crowd came with nine minutes, 21 seconds left in the first quarter. It was the first basket in front of an audience by guard Ray Allen since he was acquired as a free agent from the Boston Celtics.

Much has changed since Miami Heat veterans Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis first faced the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason. Allen and Lewis no longer play for the Seattle SuperSonics. They both have since won a championship. They are now in the twilight of their careers. All this change, yet one constant remains nine years after battling the Spurs in the 2005 Western Conference semifinals: They are still playing against Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker wearing the same silver-and-black uniforms.

The moment came during Saturday's opening session of training camp. It was time to reverse his practice jersey. And then it hit home. "I kind of glanced out the window," he said, "and I saw some water, and I was wondering where I was for a minute there. " Not in Boston anymore. Ray Allen now practices alongside Biscayne Bay, in Miami Heat gear, beside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, instead of with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

A day after seven young adults entered the Coral Gables home of Miami Heat free-agent guard Ray Allen, the family and their attorney quantified the incident as more than an innocuous break in. "The crime was not only egregious, but the police characterization of this as a silly prank is completely inappropriate," said attorney Gregory Victor, who has been retained by the Allen family in the wake of the incident. Allen had initially rented his Coral Gables home while playing for the Heat, before recently purchasing the home.

Ray Allen was drained. Playing 41 minutes at age 37 will do that to you, especially when all 21 of your points were needed in what turned into a 141-129 double-overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings. But as the veteran 3-point specialist took time to soak in the ice tub late Tuesday night, there was a satisfaction that ran deeper than the victory that extended the Miami Heat's winning streak to 12. It came when he was reminded that 13-year-old Jack Henry was waiting outside to meet with him. "I thought about it like, 'Wow, this was a great game for him to see,' " Allen said as Tuesday was turning into Wednesday.

A month after joining LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, forward James Jones said Wednesday it wasn't a matter of turning his back on his own hometown team or jumping from a sinking ship. Jones instead told the Sun Sentinel that in the wake of James' free-agency move to the Cavaliers, and with the Heat talking of going with a younger roster, it simply was time to move on after six seasons in South Florida. "We talked. There were discussions," he said of his end game with the Heat.